The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday October 19th, 2023

[richwmn]

 

Today is Evaluate Your Life Day, Conflict Resolution Day, and Dress Like a Dork Day
 

My life is every moment of my life. It is not a culmination of the past. - Hugh Leonard

Meal Suggestion for today - Glazed Honey Balsamic Pork Chops
Drink of the Day - Mexican Mule
Wine of the Day - 2021 Quarter Cut Bourbon barrel aged red blend
Destination of the Day - Valparaiso-Santiago, Chile

Today in History:
1943 Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, is isolated by researchers at Rutgers University in Pistcaway, New Jersey
1987 Black Monday: Stock markets around the world crash, including the Dow Jones stock index, which falls 508.32 points (22%), 4½ times the previous daily record

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

At Sea Destination Acajutla, El Salvador
 

Koningsdam

Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii Overnight
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Florida eta 10-21
 

Nieuw Statendam

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey 0800-1800
 

Noordam

At Sea Destination Christmas Island, Kiribati eta 10-21
 

Oosterdam

Santorini, Greece
 

Rotterdam

At Sea Destination Half Moon Cay, Bahamas eta 10-21
 

Volendam

At Sea Destination Pago Pago, American Samoa eta 10-20
 

Zaandam

At Sea Destination Callao (Lima), Peru eta 10-20
 

Zuiderdam

Arrecife, Canary Islands 1100-1800

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Westerdam

Hakodate, Japan
 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Report.

A nice fall day in store for us.  A high of 16°C (61°F).  Lots of leaves to rake.

Conflict Resolution Day - oh how I wish some countries could do this.

I like the quote.

The meal sounds good, I'll pass on the drink but I think I'll like the wine.

I've never been to today's port.

A good day in medical history.

Prayers for our world.

Happy Friday eve.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care List:

Cruising sister’s great niece Murphy post-surgery, on ventilator, CPAP trials

57redbird’s DH post external nerve ablation for afib yesterday

Mamaofami’s Sam hospitalized

HAL Sailer’s DH hospitalized, ? at rehab

StLouisCruiser’s friend Susan’s DH Scott hospitalized, post-arrest, with complications

Cruising-along’s DH with pneumonia

CrabbyPatti’s DFIL hospitalized with Covid, pneumonia, heart issues

Cruzin Terri having challenging days

 

All Dailyites going through worries and stress, whether mentioned or not

Recovery from Wildfires in Maui, Canadian/US wildfires

Citizens of Ukraine and Israel

 

From the Rotation:

NextOne post valve replacement surgery 10/17

StLouisCruiser’s friend Susan’s DB Mark with bile duct cancer

Tana’s pulmonary issues

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Bon Voyage Lady Hudson!

Ger_77, safe travels to Calgary and enjoy the family time

Cruising-along with a new cruise booking

Royal Caribbean cruise ship evacuating Americans from Israel

Smitty34877’s aide for Tana working out well

 

The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures

All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily

 

Upcoming Cruises or At Sea:

1 day for Sailingdutchy (Oosterdam Oct 20 to Nov 15, Ancient Empires & Spanish Farewell)

5 days for Aliaschief (Seabourn Quest Oct 24 to Nov 7, Montreal to Miami)

 

Kazu (Rotterdam to Oct 22, Atlantic Sojourn), 0106 (Rotterdam to Oct 22, Atlantic Sojourn), St Pete Cruiser (Rotterdam to Oct 22, Atlantic Sojourn), Live4cruises (Westerdam to Oct 28, N.Pacific crossing & Japan Collector), Horizon Chaser 1957 (Eurodam to Oct 28, Panama Canal), Lady Hudson (Liberty of the Seas to Oct 28, Canada & NE), Marshhawk (Carnival Pride to Nov 12, Rome to Rome +TA) and Lindaler (Volendam to Nov 22, Tales of the South Pacific)

[puppycanducruise]

@Lady Hudson  Bon Voyage!

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  More cold temps overnight - 45F.  We will have a sunny morning with more clouds moving in this afternoon and 71 for a high.  Thank Rich @richwmn for today's Daily and Fleet Report.

 

Varied days to celebrate from Dress Like a Dork Day to Evaluate Your Life Day.  I would rather not dress like a dork intentionally!  It's getting rather late to evaluate my life and make changes but I guess I still have things I could improve on.  Conflict Resolution Day is certainly timely and with the turmoil in this world we could use some resolution.  The quote is pretty good and I bet the pork chop recipe would be tasty.  I again skip the drink and wine of the day.  The antibiotics that were formulated have been a blessing to the world and have saved many lives.  Who here doesn't remember Black Monday?  I certainly do.  Thanks in advance to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for their reporting on the food and beverages.

 

Prayers abound for our Daily citizens, our families and friends.  We send special prayers to those in Israel and Ukraine due to the wars imposed upon them.  I wouldn't forget my DB, Susan's DH Scott and DB Mark.  I guess I'll have to text again today to get an update on Susan's family.  All I know about my DB is those very expensive meds he takes for his pulmonary fibrosis make him sick and he has gastro problems because of them.  I hope all are enjoying their cruises, and for those preparing best of luck as you head to your ship! 🚢 Thanks Vanessa @JazzyV for the list keeping!🥂

 

Our port this morning is Valparaiso-Santiago, Chile.  Unbelievable that after all this time we have a port of this significance that hasn't been shared here before.  Since this is the first time for Valparaiso/Santiago there are no links again today.  I've been to that area a handful of times and will start a new post with my history there and photos, of course.  Hoping you all have something to see/show for Valparaiso/Santiago.

 

I hope everyone has a great day.  Stay safe and well!

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is currently raining and 12°C.

I have seen a customer this morning and just stopped for a Starbucks coffee and fruit bread.

As always debatable days and quote but the food sounds good.

I pray 🙏 everyone is safe and well.

Take care and stay safe.

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for today’s daily fleet report.  Yesterday I took the afternoon off from work for my annual doctor visit.  While there I received my flu and pneumonia shots.  The arm is a bit sore this morning and that seems to be the only side effect.  As a reward we went to Texas Roadhouse for their early dinner.  After we were seated I looked around and it looked like senior citizens early bird special dining. I guess we fit right in.😂. Today’s meal suggestion sounds good but will have the chicken thighs that we didn’t make last night.

I wish everyone could resolve their conflicts peacefully. I just don’t understand all the hate that is in the world.  
I hope everyone has a good day today.

[StLouisCruisers]

The port of Valparaiso and the big city of Santiago are interesting places to visit.  Valparaiso seems to have been replaced by San Antonio the past few years in my experience.  In 2012 and 2015 the Star Princess and Ruby Princess stopped at Valparaiso during our South American cruises.  In 2016 we flew to Santiago and stayed the night, then were driven to Valparaiso to start our Seabourn Antarctica cruise.  In 2020 we flew to Santiago again for an overnight stay but that time we were driven to San Antonio to begin our Coral Princess Antarctica cruise.  Rumor was there were too many problems with dock worker strikes in Valparaiso. 

 

In 2012 we took a ship’s tour which included Valparaiso highlights, the Fonck Museum and Vina Del Mar, the seaside getaway for Santiago.

 

An overlook as we left the bus to walk around a bit

 

The Naval Museum

 

 

A funicular we did not ride on

 

 

The Hotel Reina Victoria on Plaza Sotomayor

 

 

The Blue Armada de Chile (the Chilean Navy headquarters) also on Plaza Sotomayor

 

 

We drove around Vina del Mar and stopped to take photos of the famous flower clock

 

 

The cathedral in Vina del Mar

 

 

Then stopped at the Fonck Museum

 

 

 

Later, the view of the funicular we saw earlier, from the ship’s deck

 

 

In 2015 we had a delayed start to our day due to some cranes blocking the Ruby Princess’s Skywalkers nightclub and the bridge, which both extend over the edge of the ship.  It took quite a while for them to get someone to move the cranes out of the way.

 

 

There was a Holland America ship already docked and I took a photo of it.  Can’t read the name very well, but it might say Zaandam.

 

 

This time we caught the local bus to Plaza Sotomayor.  But first we had to walk past the market to the bus stop.

 

At Plaza Sotomayor we saw the same hotel and naval building as the first time but got to check out the Heroes monument up close.

 

 

 

Doesn't look blue anymore.

 

Nearby was the entrance to the Ascensor El Peral funicular, one of the oldest in the city.  We used it to get to the top of the hill where you have the Paseo Yugoslavo, which offered a sightseeing balcony with a vista of the bay and mountains.  There are 22 funiculars in Valparaiso which save the citizens many steps per day.

 

 

And two of the cars passing each other

 

At the top, we saw the Baburizza Palace, a museum and historic monument.  It was built as a residence in 1916 for a Croatian businessman

 

 

Time to take a bus back to the ship

 

 

The remaining two visits are coming up in the next post.

 

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

In 2016 we flew to Santiago and stayed in the downtown area.   The hotel was the Best Western Premier Marina Las Condes

 

 

We were able to walk around and see a little of the city that afternoon.

 

 

 

 

The next morning we took a private transfer to Valparaiso to catch our ship, Seabourn Quest for one of the best cruises we’ve ever taken.

 

 

In January 2020 we flew to Santiago again and this time we stayed at the hotel Princess used so we could use the ship transfers to San Antonio.  The hotel was near the airport and was fortified with a tall spiky fence with razor wire on top of it.  We sure felt secure if nothing else.  No pretty scenery nearby though.  We ate in the hotel restaurant since we didn’t want to walk anywhere.  It worked out fine.  The town of San Antonio is quite small and wouldn’t have had many places to stay nearby.

 

The Hilton Garden Inn, Santiago airport

 

 

 

That is all I have of Santiago that trip.  I only have a few photos of San Antonio but since it isn’t port of the day, photos aren’t needed.

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann, and Dixie for the Friday Eve Fleet Report and Daily.  I probably dress like a dork pretty frequently.  It's likely too late for me to really evaluate my life but we need conflict resolution now more than ever.  Bon Voyage @Lady Hudson.

 

I think I like the Leonard quote.  A great day in medicine but not finance.

 

As @StLouisCruisers HAL has replaced Valparaiso in recent years with San Antonio, I think because of a strange attitude by the port officials there.  I'll try to say more later.

 

The pork chop sounds good.  My alternative is Lingonberry Soup, Macadamia Crusted Chicken, and Apple Buckle a la mode as served in the MS Amsterdam Lido October 19, 2017.  I had a late tour that day and did not get to the dining room:

 

Roy

[summer slope]

Mexican Mule cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1 part Hornitos® Plata Tequila
2 parts Ginger Beer
1/2 parts Lime Juice
Lime Wedges

Instructions
Build over ice, garnish with fresh wedge of lime.

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info. 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s FR & D, Rich! A bit warmer at 58 this morning. These past few days have just been lovely.  We really enjoyed our visit to the new wine bar last night. We sat in a room decorated like a vineyard. The walls had murals with grape vines & leaves and the ceiling had grape leaves and bunches of different types of grapes hanging down. The tables were beautiful wood. The food was delicious and the 5 featured wines were all from Spain. 5 - 3oz pours for $15!

 

Vanessa, I was happy to read that the epidural went smoothly. Praying it helps ease your pain. Thank you for keeping up with all of us in spite of what you deal with. 
 

Bindi walks, chores, a trip to the Vet for Bindi’s annual heart worm test & I need to rearrange my wine “cellar”. I keep it in the same walk-in closet as my Christmas tree, and currently there is no way I could ever get the tree out past the wine!😎

 

 

 

 

 

 

Praying for all who need our support. @smitty34877Terry, praying for you, Tana, your families & your support teams. 
 

@HAL Sailer Melissa, praying that all is well. 
 

Cheers to all who are celebrating! @ger_77 Geri, safe travels & lots of hugs & giggles!

 

May we each find a reason to smile today!
 

*********

2021 Quarter Cut Bourbon barrel aged red blend

Another wine on which bourbon barrels worked their magic. Smooth, but medium-full bodied. Lovely by itself or with a meal. Available from many distributors, including Aldi, online prices start at $10.99.  I am a fan of this red blend & have a few bottles in “ my cellar”.

Distributor notes 

Brown brick red color. Aromas of vanilla, chocolate marshmallow, dark berry tart, and plum sauce with a silky, medium body and a medium cherry demi glaze on grilled meat, red apple, wild berries, and chocolate covered bacon finish. A solid Bourbon-barrel aged red blend that is an easy choice for everyday meals and sipping.

Sweetness:Dryish

Pairing:Baked Ham, Meat Loaf, Lasagna

 

 

 

 

[rafinmd]

Here's an article on the situation in Valparaiso  Looking at the data in cruisetimetables dot com it doesn't look like they have done anything to fix the problem:

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news-headlines/valpara-so-cruise-calls-risk-berthing-labor-issues

 

Roy

[RedneckBob]

33 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Good afternoon.

It is currently raining and 12°C.

I have seen a customer this morning and just stopped for a Starbucks coffee and fruit bread.

As always debatable days and quote but the food sounds good.

I pray 🙏 everyone is safe and well.

Take care and stay safe.

Where’s the beach?

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet update and General info from all contributors.
 

Dress like a Dork Day. Never knew that there was a day that I could celebrate everyday! 😀

[StLouisCruisers]

29 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Here's an article on the situation in Valparaiso  Looking at the data in cruisetimetables dot com it doesn't look like they have done anything to fix the problem:

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news-headlines/valpara-so-cruise-calls-risk-berthing-labor-issues

 

Roy

 

Thank you for that informative article, Roy.  I agree with the author that Valparaiso is the better port with so much more to see there than San Antonio.  But the cruise lines can't put up with so much uncertainty and lack of service from the union laborers.  Plans are made well in advance.  

[RMLincoln]

I’m not sure about the quote, and we often ask ourselves, What do we want to be when we grow up?  But that is looking ahead, not evaluating the past. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I did my grad work at Rutgers, but not Piscataway branch. Newark branch. 
 

We ported in Valparaiso in 2012. It was the end of our first leg of the B2B2B around Cape Horn on Carnival Splendor which was being repositioned from CA to NY and didn’t fit old Panama Canal locks. We had to change rooms that day. I was very sick!  I think it was a flu, no congestion just a few days of high fever and a week of recovery. DH canceled our excursion and arranged timing with room stewards so he could walk me from one bed to the other. (Carnival was excellent about refunding our excursion last minute due to sickness, unlike HAL which refused me when I was sick in Malta years later.). Thanks for the excellent photos of Valparaiso Sandi, we really missed seeing a lovely place. 
 

Everything is fluid here about timing and dates for our move!  Might happen sooner!  If new apt refurbishment is done. Sooner is easier on us, with packers doing more of the work. Grandkids got sick, didn’t come yesterday. Haven’t spoken with them yet- we really don’t have time or energy to get sick! Happy to wait for their help!  
 

I brought a box of pantry excess to prayer circle last night, and what wasn’t taken by them was left for the church food pantry. I packed our few liquor and wine bottles for the grandkids to take- movers won’t move it. (Last move, from NM in 2021, I took on the job of drinking it all!  But I had a lot more time, 5 months. Made the packing go easier!). 
 

Today we’ll call the interior finishes lady to get an estimate of her ready date and hopefully be able to arrange to move then. Sooner will be quicker to market, and easier on us with the packers doing more of the work. It’s all good!  Glad we’re doing this while we can!  We’re noticing it’s harder than it was 2 1/2 years ago. Glad we pared down soooo much then!  Still have some stuff to sort out but we think we’ll manage it. DH says if the boxes get stacked in the living room we’ll be much more motivated to get rid of stuff!  We won’t have a storage room there like here, maybe a good thing!  
 

Blessings to All of you!  
Bon Voyage @Lady Hudson and Happy Birthday to you and your twin!  So glad you can do this cruise and DD can help with DH.  
 

🥂 to those celebrating. 
Peace and relief for all who are suffering war, unfortunate people caught as pawns in power struggles!  
May all who are ill find a path to wellness🙏. 
Onward today!  Maureen 

[GTVCRUISER]

🙂 🎃 🙂

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from a 2019 QM2 transatlantic.  October 19, 2019 was the first sea day on a string of cruises that let to a river cruise on Crystal Bach, Crystal Serenity transatlantic, and a Crystal Symphony Caribbean Cruise:

 

 

Roy

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

It is a balmy 52F here in mid-Michigan this morning.  The skies are dark with heavy rain clouds and I think we are going to get a soaker.  Nothing really planned today except getting ready to head north for our niece's wedding on Saturday.  It will be fun getting together with the whole family.  

 

Bon Voyage to @Lady Hudson Katherine.  I hope @marshhawk and @catmando Annie and Chuck are having a fantastic time on their cruise.  It sure looks like @kazu Jacqui and @0106 Tina are enjoying theirs.  

 

Today's meal is a repeat but it is worth taking a second look at.  This recipe from Ahead of Thyme looks pretty easy to do.  https://www.aheadofthyme.com/glazed-honey-balsamic-pork-chops/

 

 

If you're not a fan of pork chops, you could easily do this with chicken.  Honey and balsamic go well together with chicken.  Seasonings are a little different with this recipe, but it is still pretty easy!  https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pork-chops-with-honey-balsamic-glaze/

 

 

This one looks so good!  https://whatsinthepan.com/honey-balsamic-pork-chops/

 

 

I hope this has awakened some appetites!   We do need a break from soup and stew occasionally.  

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

[Haljo1935]

Interesting collection of days - no harm in dressing like a Dork and could lighten the mood, which pairs well w/conflict resolution. Sure would like to see more resolutions and less conflict.

Don't know that I fully embrace the quote.

YES on the meal and wine, pass on the drink, not been to Chile.

Both history days are very important.

54° headed to sunny 84° and 93 ° on Sat - what happened to the cooler temps?

Got Int'l DL yesterday, now just need DL to get his before Tues as I will not be the one driving the 4x4 unless it's an emergency. Also went to eye Dr - prescription has changed dramatically and I have cataracts - no wonder I thought things were blurry and I am having issues reading. New glasses will not be here before we leave, so I will not get them for 3 weeks.

Both shoulders still very sore from Tues jabs and my head and nausea still requires a cold, wet towel, ugh.

Prayers and positive thoughts for all.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from cool, but warmer than yesterday central Texas.  It is 56F and feels like 56F with 78% humidity and a dew point of 50F.  There is a 4 mph breeze right now.  Our high will be 84F with the wind increasing to 13mph at mid-day.  There is not much on the agenda today.

 

I think we've been evaluating our life the past three years since there was not much else to do.  I wish all conflicts worldwide, on a person-to-person level, and all those in between could be resolved easily.  I try not to dress like a dork, and won't be making an effort to do so today.

 

The Hugh Leonard quote is good.

 

We'll pass on the meal and the drink.  The wine sounds nice, and the price isn't bad either.

 

We have flown into Santiago, Chile, twice to join BHBs in Valparaiso.  Both times were in the pre-digital age, so all my pictures are in albums.  The first time in 1999, HAL took us to a hotel in Santiago until it was time to take the bus to Valparaiso, so we saw a little of the city.  The second time, we went by bus from the airport to a hotel overlooking the Pacific.  Since both flights were overnight from Miami, I think I slept during most of the bus rides.  In 2015, the Ruby Princess had a turnaround day in Valparaiso on her 49 day repositioning cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to San Pedro.  We took a ship tour around Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.  I'll post my pictures in a few minutes.

 

The development of Streptomycin in 1943 was a game changer in the fight against TB.  I also remember Black Monday in 1987.

 

@StLouisCruisers  Sandi, thanks for your pictures of Santiago and Valparaiso. 

@RMLincoln Maureen,  I'm sorry the grandkids are sick, and I hope they are better soon.  I also hope things fall into place so you can move sooner.

@Haljo1935  That is good news that your got your international DL, a I hope your DH gets his before Tuesday.  I hope you start feeling better soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[Nickelpenny]

Good Morning to All and thanks for the daily and fleet reports.  I don't think I dress like a dork, hate conflict and try to avoid it, and I do evaluate my life - past, present and future.  Can't do anything about the past but evaluate where I am now and where I am going based on what happened in the past.  Strange quote but it seems to fit with evaluating my life.  I will pass on the meal and drink, maybe the wine and I will be going to Chile next year.  👍  What a great day for medicine and a sad day for finances!!!

 

We have been having cool mornings (~60ish) but get to being hot (high 90's) during the day.  Definitely a "layer your clothes" season.  Mani/pedi yesterday and picking up my 3 Krispy Kremes that was from my birthday.  Like I really needed them!!  Went to Saver's (like Goodwill) to see if I could find some belts.  Success!

 

Subbing for middle school music today.  They start late (~0845) which I am not a fan of, but it is what it is.

 

Thoughts for the long care list and cheers for those celebrating.

 

Have a great day everyone!!